A pump, a bearing assembly for a pump and a method of assembling the bearing assembly

Abstract

A bearing assembly, method of assembling a bearing assembly and a pump are disclosed. The bearing assembly is for mounting a rotatable shaft of a pump, and comprises an inner ring and an outer ring and a plurality of rollable elements mounted between said inner and outer rings. The bearing assembly has a lubricant directing element extending radially outwards from an outer circumference of the inner ring. The lubricant directing element may comprise a sloped radial surface, at least a portion of the sloped radial surface facing an annular gap between the inner and outer rings, a radially inner portion of the sloped surface being closer to the rollable elements than a radially outer portion of the sloped surface.

1 . A bearing assembly for mounting a rotatable shaft of a pump, said bearing assembly comprising:
 a bearing comprising an inner ring and an outer ring and a plurality of rollable elements mounted between said inner and outer rings;   a lubricant directing element extending radially outwards from an outer circumference of said inner ring, said lubricant directing element comprising a radially extending surface, at least a portion of said radially extending surface facing an annular gap between said inner and outer rings.   
     
     
         2 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said radially extending surface is sloped, a radially inner portion of said sloped surface being closer to said rollable elements than a radially outer portion of said sloped surface. 
     
     
         3 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lubricant directing element is located towards one end of said inner ring. 
     
     
         4 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lubricant directing element comprises a drip edge on a surface facing away from said rollable elements. 
     
     
         5 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said surface facing away from said rollable elements comprises an annular recess, an edge of said annular recess comprising said drip edge. 
     
     
         6 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said drip edge is between 30 and 70% of a distance between a radially inner and a radially outer edge of said surface facing away from said rollable elements. 
     
     
         7 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a radially extending surface of said lubricant directing element furthest from said rollable elements is flush with or extends axially beyond a radially extending surface of said inner ring furthest from said rollable elements. 
     
     
         8 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lubricant directing element is integral with said inner ring. 
     
     
         9 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lubricant directing element comprises an annular form and is attached to said inner ring. 
     
     
         10 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein a portion of said inner ring comprises a thinner portion with a reduced outer diameter at a portion to which said lubricant directing element is attached. 
     
     
         11 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said lubricant directing element is attached to said inner ring by at least one of a press fit, a clearance fit, an interference fit, bonding, staking, circlips or gluing. 
     
     
         12 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said inner ring comprises an axially extending portion extending axially beyond said outer ring, said lubricant directing element being attached to said axially extending portion;
 said bearing assembly further comprising:
 a bearing support configured to support said outer ring of said bearing, said bearing support surrounding at least a portion of an outer surface of said outer ring and comprising a radially extending portion extending across one end surface of said outer ring towards said axially extending portion of said inner ring to thereby obscure at least a portion of said annular gap between said inner and outer ring; wherein 
   said lubricant directing element is located further from said rollable elements than said radially extending portion of said bearing support.   
     
     
         13 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein said radially extending portion of said bearing support comprises a plurality of apertures configured to allow passage of lubricant between an interior of said bearing and an exterior of said bearing. 
     
     
         14 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprise at least three apertures, preferably nine. 
     
     
         15 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein said lubricant directing element is configured to extend radially beyond at least a radially inner portion of said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         16 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 12 , said axially extending portion of said inner ring comprises a recessed portion with a reduced outer diameter, said radially extending portion of said bearing support extending into said recessed portion. 
     
     
         17 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein an innermost surface of said radially extending portion of said bearing support forms one side of a clearance gap with an outer surface of said reduced diameter portion of said inner ring. 
     
     
         18 . The bearing assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein a radially extending surface of said lubricant directing element furthest from said rollable elements is flush with or extends axially beyond a radially extending surface of said inner ring furthest from said rollable elements and wherein said outer diameter of said inner ring at a portion to which said lubricant directing element is attached is smaller than said outer diameter of said recessed portion into which said bearing support extends. 
     
     
         19 . A pump comprising at least one rotatable shaft supporting a rotor within a stator, said at least one rotatable shaft being mounted on at least one bearing assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The pump according to  claim 19 , wherein said pump comprises a lubricant reservoir on one axial side of said bearing assembly and a lubricant collection mechanism on the other axial side, said lubricant directing element being configured to direct lubricant onto said lubricant collection mechanism, said pump further comprising a lubricant transport mechanism for transporting said lubricant from said lubricant collection mechanism to said lubricant reservoir. 
     
     
         21 . The pump according to  claim 19 , said pump comprising a vacuum pump configured for operation in multiple orientations. 
     
     
         22 . A method of assembling a bearing assembly according to  claim 9 , comprising:
 assembling a bearing by mounting rollable elements within inner and outer rings;   attaching a lubricant directing element having an annular form to an inner ring of said bearing such that said lubricant directing element extends radially outwards from an outer circumference of said inner ring.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled)